PORTLAND, Ore. — There was no school again on Tuesday for tens of thousands of Portland Public Schools students, as teachers across the city remain on strike.
Negotiations between the teachers union and the district continues, with PPS officials telling KGW that they're making progress with educators on the topic of planning and preparation time. However, on the issues of cost-of-living wage increase and class size caps, both sides appear to still be far apart.
Julia Brim-Edwards, a member of the school board, told KGW they understand the urgency to get back to the classroom, and explained PPS has worked around the clock on proposals.
"We are working hard to get a settlement that is fair to teachers and is within our fixed budget," she said, "Board members are very engaged. We are having daily meetings. We’ve had board members daily at the mediation sessions ... We want to get this solved. We want to work things out."
On Tuesday, district officials announced that they had called on Gov. Tina Kotek to help identify a facilitator to continue bringing both the union and the PPS bargaining team together over the next two days, since the current mediator had another mediation commitment on Wednesday and Thursday.
Kotek released a statement Tuesday evening saying that her office had lined up a fill-in mediator to keep the talks going. She said she had also directed the state's chief financial officer, Kate Nass, will work with PPS and PAT during the ongoing mediation sessions. Nass will review financial information "to ensure the district and union are working from the same set of numbers as they keep working to resolve this strike."
"My office successfully worked to secure a mediator to remain at the table with PAT and PPS," she said. "My focus continues to be on providing the support needed to deliver a fair contract for PPS educators and return students to the classroom.”
Students, parents and educators also gathered for a rally outside Atkinson Elementary School in Southeast Portland. Although kids said they're hoping to get back to class soon, they're in full support of their teachers.
"I think the teachers are very great, and they do many things. They woke up so early in the morning to support us as students. And I think that they deserve a lot more," said third grader Samara Barish.
"As a student, I love my classes. I love my teachers," said Celia Sternberg-Darin, "But they definitely need more support ... I wish that the teachers would spend more time teaching rather than telling the kids how to behave."
The Oregon Education Association President, Reed Scott-Schwalbach, also joined the picket line.
"I can’t speak to how long this might stretch out; I’m not at the bargaining table," she said, "But what it is going to take is people listening to what educators and parents and students are saying are really important, and creating a deal that meets those needs."
PPS confirmed that schools will remain closed on Wednesday as the strike continues.